diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index e4086e60d2f..3264c420e8c 100755
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -11451,4 +11451,8 @@
 	  We can get better timing accuracy without it (2016-02-03).
 	* drivers/ioexpander/pca555.c:  Add logic to make the PCA555 driver
 	  thread safe (2016-02-03).
-
+	* sched/init/os_start.c and include/nuttx/init.h:  Add a state variable
+	  that provides the current level of OS initialization.  This is needed by
+	  some logic that may attempt to run early in the start-up sequence but
+	  cannot run if a sufficient level of initialization has not yet occurred
+	  (2016-02-05).
diff --git a/include/nuttx/init.h b/include/nuttx/init.h
index 553dc3a4afd..fcf42450309 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/init.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/init.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /****************************************************************************
  * include/nuttx/init.h
  *
- *   Copyright (C) 2007, 2008, 2011 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (C) 2007, 2008, 2011, 2016 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
  *   Author: Gregory Nutt <gnutt@nuttx.org>
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -43,10 +43,40 @@
 #include <nuttx/config.h>
 #include <nuttx/compiler.h>
 
+#include <stdint.h>
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Pre-processor Definitions
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+#define OSINIT_MM_READY()        (g_os_initstate >= OSINIT_MEMORY)
+#define OSINIT_HW_READY()        (g_os_initstate >= OSINIT_HARDWARE)
+#define OSINIT_OS_READY()        (g_os_initstate >= OSINIT_OSREADY)
+#define OSINIT_OS_INITIALIZING() (g_os_initstate  < OSINIT_OSREADY)
+
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Public Types
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+/* Initialization state.  OS bring-up occurs in several phases: */
+
+enum os_initstate_e
+{
+  OSINIT_POWERUP = 0,   /* 1. Power-up.  No initialization yet performed */
+  OSINIT_BOOT,          /* 2. Basic boot up initialization is complete.  OS
+                         *    services and hardware resources are not yet
+                         *    available. */
+  OSINIT_MEMORY,        /* 3. The memory manager has been initialized */
+  OSINIT_HARDWARE,      /* 4. MCU-specific hardware is complete.  Hardware
+                         *    resources such as timers and device drivers
+                         *    are now avaiable.  Low-level OS services
+                         *    sufficient to support the hardware are
+                         *    also avaialable but the OS has not yet
+                         *    completed its full initialization. */
+  OSINIT_OSREADY        /* 5. The OS is fully initialized and multi-tasking
+                         *    is active. */
+};
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Public Data
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -59,6 +89,13 @@ extern "C"
 #define EXTERN extern
 #endif
 
+/* This is the current initialization state.  The level of initialization
+ * is only important early in the start-up sequence when certain OS or
+ * hardware resources may not yet be available to the kernel logic.
+ */
+
+EXTERN uint8_t g_os_initstate;  /* See enum os_initstate_e */
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Public Function Prototypes
  ****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/sched/init/os_start.c b/sched/init/os_start.c
index 8e5d52cf061..c97b53b0347 100644
--- a/sched/init/os_start.c
+++ b/sched/init/os_start.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /****************************************************************************
  * sched/init/os_start.c
  *
- *   Copyright (C) 2007-2014 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (C) 2007-2014, 2016 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
  *   Author: Gregory Nutt <gnutt@nuttx.org>
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -72,14 +72,6 @@
 #endif
 #include  "init/init.h"
 
-/****************************************************************************
- * Pre-processor Definitions
- ****************************************************************************/
-
-/****************************************************************************
- * Private Type Declarations
- ****************************************************************************/
-
 /****************************************************************************
  * Public Data
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -215,6 +207,13 @@ const struct tasklist_s g_tasklisttable[NUM_TASK_STATES] =
 #endif
 };
 
+/* This is the current initialization state.  The level of initialization
+ * is only important early in the start-up sequence when certain OS or
+ * hardware resources may not yet be available to the kernel logic.
+ */
+
+uint8_t g_os_initstate;  /* See enum os_initstate_e */
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Private Variables
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -264,6 +263,10 @@ void os_start(void)
 
   slldbg("Entry\n");
 
+  /* Boot up is complete */
+
+  g_os_initstate = OSINIT_BOOT;
+
   /* Initialize RTOS Data ***************************************************/
   /* Initialize all task lists */
 
@@ -391,6 +394,10 @@ void os_start(void)
   }
 #endif
 
+  /* The memory manager is available */
+
+  g_os_initstate = OSINIT_MEMORY;
+
 #if defined(CONFIG_SCHED_HAVE_PARENT) && defined(CONFIG_SCHED_CHILD_STATUS)
   /* Initialize tasking data structures */
 
@@ -497,6 +504,10 @@ void os_start(void)
 
   up_initialize();
 
+  /* Hardware resources are available */
+
+  g_os_initstate = OSINIT_HARDWARE;
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_NET
   /* Complete initialization the networking system now that interrupts
    * and timers have been configured by up_initialize().
@@ -542,6 +553,10 @@ void os_start(void)
 #endif
 
   /* Bring Up the System ****************************************************/
+  /* The OS is fully initialized and we are beginning multi-tasking */
+
+  g_os_initstate = OSINIT_OSREADY;
+
   /* Create initial tasks and bring-up the system */
 
   DEBUGVERIFY(os_bringup());